He's Free
by Kiba7
Summary: Two days after Spike's death. Jet and Faye are left to pick up the pieces and a romance ensues.


I needed a day after sort of thing to CB so I wrote this up. Please let me know what you think.

Jet walked all over the Bebop looking for Faye. The two of them had been tip toeing around each ever since Jet came back from Tharsis two days ago with the news that Spike had been killed. Even before that, when Ed and Ein took off, Faye had been in and out and it had been quiet on board the old trawler for a week. Jet had been alone before, but going from being alone to suddenly have three people and a dog under foot and now back to nothing again was weighing heavy. There was no one to ask had they seen her and the place seemed more like a ghost ship than the cozy home of four people and a dog that everyone liked except Spike.

Jet took upon himself the grueling task of seeing that Spike and Julia got buried and getting the Swordfish back to the Bebop. There was no one else. Two days ago by the time he got to the Red Dragon headquarters, it had been all but leveled. He grinned to himself as he studied Spike's handy work. Windows shattered, escalators and elevators blown up. Dead men everywhere, except where Spike lay face down on the red-carpeted stairway. He made his way over to the expansive stairway where the police and medical personnel gathered. Jet knew in his heart that between Spike and Vicious, Spike was the last one standing. The thought made him smile. As they loaded Spike's body on a gurney and before they put a white sheet over his face, Jet noticed how peaceful he looked. He looked happy.

Faye was in Spike's room curled up in his bed. She had been in there all day. The strong feeling to be near him drew her there. She missed him. She looked at the pictures of Spike's hero Bruce Lee and noticed there was very little else in his room. There were no other pictures except one wallet size of Julia that had been crumpled once and then straightened back out. On the nightstand was an old pack of cigarettes with two cigarettes in it and an ashtray full of butts and in one corner of the room was a pile of dirty clothes. She thought how the bleakness of his room reflected the bleakness that festered inside him.

"No wonder he was always so cynical." She suddenly had an uncontrollable urge to cry and pulled the covers over her head.

The door opened slowly and Jet poked his head in.

"Come on now Faye. You can't hide in here for the rest of your life."

"Why not?"

"Well, for one thing it isn't healthy and for another Spike would make fun of you if he were here."

"I bet he's laughing his ass off in where ever hell he's in." She said.

She emerged from beneath the covers with puffy swollen eyes and a red nose. Jet thought she looked adorable and also very sad. He wanted to take her in his arms but thought better of it.

"I need your help Faye." He said softly. "If I could fly both the Hammerhead and the Swordfish at the same time I would rather than bother you with this."

"I know Jet, give me a minute to get myself together." She said sitting up.

Jet looked at her for a brief moment before leaving her alone. He didn't know she had been in love with Spike. Jet should have told her how he himself felt about her, but her constant unpredictable behavior told him he should forget it.

Jet heard the shower running and considered that a good sign to go ahead and make Faye some lunch. It had taken him a few days to trim his cooking down to making meals just for two. Cooking for Spike alone was like cooking for an army.

"Stupid kid." Jet said to no one.

After her shower, Faye walked into the kitchen drawn by the smell of food. She couldn't remember if she had eaten all week or not. She stood frozen at the kitchen door. Jet sat at the bar stool at the counter with his head down. He was crying. Something in her heart touched his and right then all she wanted to do was stay with him.

"Jet, are you all right?" She said.

"Yes, he said quietly.

"Something's wrong. I've never seen you cry before."

"What do you want me to tell you? That I was just getting used to all the noise and craziness from you three people and that dog?" He stood and was raising his voice. "I've been alone before, there's nothing to it."

"Jet." She said quietly, gently touching his face. "I'm not going anywhere. I won't leave you."

"I'll hold my breath until the next wild hair flies up your ass Faye." He stormed out of the kitchen toward the machine room. Faye caught up with him and stopped him.

"Okay, I'll give you that one. I have been crazy since I first came here. Unpredictable and moody, but it was because I didn't know who I was or where I belonged. When I found out where, there was nothing left Jet. It's all gone. All that I have is here. Ed is a free spirit and goes where she wants when she wants. She has no insecurities or inhibitions. Spike had lived in a dream and when it was over he realized there was nothing inside him without it. I don't want to be like that. I don't want to be dead inside and look for the day when my life can end. Please let me stay with you Jet."

She wanted to stay with the man who blushed when she looked at him too long and who clipped Bonsai trees and was man enough to wear an apron when he cooked.

"I want you to stay Faye." He said.

She jumped for him and threw her arms around his neck. Before she knew it she was kissing him.

"Hold on ther…" She cut off the rest by covering his mouth with hers. Soon he was kissing her back. He carried her to his room and into his bed.

Several hours later an alarm going off in Jet's room signaled him that a call was in coming. It was his friend Bob from ISSP letting him know the Swordfish had been released from the police impound and was waiting for him to pick it up.

"Jet."

"I know Faye, you were in love with Spike."

"Jet, I wasn't in love with Spike. He was like a brother to me, an annoying, irritating, pain in the ass brother, but a brother just the same and I loved him that way."

"Faye, if this never happens between us again, I am more than grateful it did and if it does, I'll consider myself fortunate for the privilege."

Faye smiled.

"If we had time, we'd both be fortunate again."

This time it was Jet's turn to smile. He called Bob back and told him he'd be there to pick up the Swordfish in about two hours.

Jet knew Faye would not have been able to fly the Swordfish so she flew the Hammerhead back to the Bebop. Jet had never flown the Swordfish before and was a little shaky on the controls and several times almost lost control.

"Need some help back there Jet?"

"You just pay attention to what you're doing and don't wreck my ship."

"That's the Jet I know and love." She said. "Minding my own business now. See you back on the Bebop."

Jet had contacted Doohan and told him Spike was dead and that he would more than likely want him to have the Swordfish back. Doohan was saddened by the news and said he would make it to the funeral and pick up the Swordfish then.

Standing in the cold wet cemetery was the hardest thing Faye could ever remember doing. It rained and the day was gray and dark. She didn't even get a chance to look at his face and that odd green hair one last time. Jet had the coffins sealed and had them buried side by side and deep in the ground. Jet, Faye, Doohan and his assistant Miles were the only attendants. Faye was having a difficult time standing on her own and primarily leaned on Jet holding firmly to his hand. She stood there sorting her feelings and the strongest feeling she was having was that not remembering her own family, Spike and Ed were like siblings to her and she missed them terribly. Jet on the other hand was not like a family member. Not like a brother or father figure or uncle or cousin…he was something more to her. He had touched her heart with kindness and she trusted him with her heart. He made her feel less desperate about her debts and more confident about her bounty hunting abilities.

After the funeral, Doohan and Miles joined them aboard the Bebop to toast Spike with the whiskey he owed Doohan that was stashed behind the refrigerator. Jet and Doohan talked engines, fuel prices and engine parts and in no time, Doohan and Jet had overhauled the Bebop's main engines and reminisced about Spike. The two men later stood in the storage bay where the Swordfish was housed.

"He was a hell of a flyer." Jet said.

"That he was or I never would have given him this bird. I plan on jettisoning her into space." Doohan said.

**_She'll burn out just like his star did_**. Jet recalled his meeting with Laughing Bull.

"Wherever he is, the Swordfish belongs with him. I'd like to launch it from your deck if that's all right with you Jet."

"It would be an honor and he would have liked that Doohan. Thanks again for that tune up." Jet reached out his hand to shake Doohan's.

"Anytime Jet. Any friend of Spike's is a friend of mine."

Jet joined Faye on the observation deck and watched as the Swordfish swooped by the Bebop one last time. Jet put his arm around Faye and she wrapped both arms around his waist. The rose pink flyer made two victory rolls, which was signature Spike, then with a blast from the after burners she bolted straight up toward deep space.

"I saw his face when he died Faye. He was glad his time was up. He looked happy." Jet said.

"I'm glad you went to see him Jet."

He kissed the top of her head.

They watched until the glow of the Swordfish was gone.

"He's free Faye."

"Adios Space Cowboy." Faye whispered.


End file.
